Payments center content policies

Google has developed the following policies to ensure overall program quality and a positive user experience for everyone. Any individual or business processing transactions with the payments center must adhere to these policies.

Google reserves the right to expand or edit these policies at any time. Google will also exercise its sole discretion in the interpretation and enforcement of these policies in conjunction with the program's Terms of Service. Products, goods, services and other items not listed below may still be restricted.

Examples: Pornographic materials involving minors, or content that can be perceived as pedophilia erotica

Copyright media and software

Examples: Unauthorized copies of books, music, movies, and other licensed or protected materials including copies without proper attribution; and unauthorized copies of software, video games and other licensed or protected materials, including OEM or bundled software

Counterfeit and unauthorized goods

Examples: Replicas or imitations of designer or other goods; items without a celebrity endorsement that would normally require such an association; fake autographs; currency; stamps; tickets; other potentially unauthorized goods

Devices or techniques for unlocking technical protection measures

Examples: Mod chips or other devices for circumventing technical protection measures on digital devices, including for unlocking iPhones

Drugs and drug paraphernalia

Examples: Controlled substances, narcotics, illegal drugs, and drug accessories, including psychoactive and herbal drugs such as salvia and magic mushrooms and materials promoting their use; or legal substances, such as plants or herbs, in a manner that suggests ingesting, inhaling, extracting or otherwise using any substance or compound from the legal substance will provide the same effect as an illegal drug, compound or substance or that will provide unsubstantiated health benefits

Financial or other regulated products, services, securities, and stored value

Under certain conditions, some financial services would be permitted for the purposes of allowing a user to save a “show and scan” object to Google.

Fund solicitations

Examples: Donation solicitations from parties without a valid 501(c)(3) tax exempt status clearly displayed to the public; solicitations from parties without valid proof of exempt tax status or proof of registration with the relevant country's regulatory bodies and authorities; and political organizations that have registered with the FEC

Examples: Including but not limited to government issued IDs, passports, diplomas, noble titles, and uniforms, except if sold by an authorized government agency or by a supplier accredited by an authorized government agency

Hacking and cracking materials

Examples: Manuals, how-to guides, information, or equipment that violate the law by damaging or enabling unlawful access to software, servers, websites, or other protected property

Examples: Materials, products, or information promoting illegal goods or enabling illegal acts; goods you do not own or have the right to sell; goods produced in violation of a third party's rights; smuggled goods and goods in violation of export, import or labeling restrictions; motor vehicles subject to transfer restriction; goods recorded on public registers (such as real estate) and whose transfer requires formalities that cannot be legally completed online. Note: You are solely and completely responsible for verifying that all items you sell are authentic and legal.

Illegal telecommunications equipment

Examples: Devices intended to obtain cable and satellite signals for free, cable descramblers and black boxes, access cards, access card programmers and unloopers, unlawful tools or products to modify cellular telephones, and other equipment deemed unlawful by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) or other competent regulatory body in the country in which the goods are offered for sale

Defame or slander any person or groups of people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, or other factors

Defame or slander any person or groups of people protected from defamation or slander by applicable law (such as the protection afforded to the royal family in some jurisdictions)

Encourage or incite violent acts

Promote intolerance or hatred

Promote or support membership in terrorist groups or other organizations prohibited by law

Promote revisionist theories proscribed by applicable law

Contravene public morality

Offensive goods, crime

Examples: Crime scene photos or items, such as personal belongings, associated with criminals or a criminal act

Precious materials

Examples: Bulk sales of rare, scarce, or valuable metals or stones

Prescription drugs and medical devices

Examples: Drugs or other products requiring a prescription by a licensed medical practitioner, veterinarian or any online pharmacies or whose distribution is otherwise regulated; medical devices that require government authorization for distribution; and drug test circumvention aids. Health related product promotion is permitted, subject to certain conditions and restrictions, to enable a user to save show and scan objects to Google.

Protected cultural items and artifacts

Examples: Material covered by the UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property or otherwise restricted by law from sale, export or transfer; Artifacts, cave formations (speleothems, stalactites, and stalagmites) and grave-related items that are protected under federal laws, such as The Federal Cave Resources Protection Act of 1988, and the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act

Examples: Firearms, ammunition, and other items including but not limited to firearms, disguised, undetectable or switchblade knives, martial arts weapons, silencers, ammunition, ammunition magazines, BB guns, and tear gas. Under certain conditions, some products and services would be permitted for the purposes of allowing a user to save a “show and scan” object to Google.